In this post we’ll be discussing the Best £5.0-5.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season. Having previously looked at the Best Premium FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season in this post, the second in a series of articles on defenders to target for the upcoming FPL season, we’ll be taking a look at the mid-priced options.
There are a whole host of different options in this price bracket, from flying fullbacks to DEFCON monsters, there’s something for everyone! In this post on the £5.0-5.5 Million FPL Defenders, we’ll be looking at attacking statistics, underlying numbers, DEFCON and clean sheet potential to aid our analysis and verdict. I’ll also be taking into account fixtures, as an early wildcard is becoming an ever-increasing eventuality….
Link to all our 2026/27 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, best drafts, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, differentials, players to target, budget enablers and more. Completely free to access as well!
Best £5.0-5.5 Million FPL Defenders
Gvardiol (£5.5m)
While many managers have been concerned about Gvardiol’s minutes going into the season, recent leaks in the media about the Croatian defender will hopefully reassure sceptics. Numerous outlets have reported that Gvardiol is set to be one of the central pillars to Maresca’s City team along with Foden and, of course, Haaland, information that came just days before the announcement of Gvardiol’s new Manchester City contract, which will tie him to the club until 2031. All of this points to a starring role for the Croatian, likely (we think) at centre back alongside Guehi.
With Guehi, O’Reilly and Nunes (the other three defenders we expect to start for City) all priced at 6.0m+, Gvardiol offers a more affordable way into the City backline. Furthermore, his attacking instincts, be it at centre back or at left back, make him a great FPL option. Gvardiol scored 2 and assisted 2 last season, a small drop-off from his previous two campaigns in which he produced 5 goal involvements per season.
Having overcome last season’s injury issues, Gvardiol now looks like a great FPL asset; last season he averaged more expected points per 90 than any other City defender – even more than O’Reilly! He also averaged the second most points per 90 (albeit in a small sample size of just 18 appearances). Gvardiol offers a cheap way into one of the best defences in the league and appears to be fairly nailed going into the season, making him a great option for our FPL teams at just 5.5m!
Man City’s first five fixtures are ranked 4th for fixture difficulty by Fantasy Football Hub’s Fixture Analyser tool. They rank just below the title winners, who also have a couple of £5.0-5.5 million FPL Defenders of interest in their squad…
Mosquera (£5.5m)
With Saliba out injured for a few months, it looks as though Mosquera is likely to start the season alongside Gabriel in the heart of Arsenal’s title-winning defence. While Arsenal’s defensive record without Saliba is significantly worse than their record with the French defender, Arteta’s side is still one to target from a defensive perspective. With Gabriel priced at 2.5m more than Mosquera, it’s almost a no-brainer for many managers to select the cheaper Mosquera for GW1.
Arsenal kept 19 clean sheets in the league last season and conceded just 27 goals, and on only 7 occasions did the Gunners concede 2+ goals in a Premier League game last season. Arteta has proven time and again that he is capable of constructing a mean, stubborn defensive unit which limits chances, something we can see through the underlying numbers…
FACT: On only three occasions did Arsenal concede 2+ expected goals against last season (Villa (A), Villa (H), City (A))
While Saliba tends to be the more reserved of the two centre backs (meaning his CBIT stats are significantly lower than Gabriel), Mosquera averaged 8.9CBIT/90 (according to his FPL stats page), higher than any other Arsenal defender. That being said, Mosquera’s minutes were significantly lower than other Arsenal defenders, and he was often subbed onto the pitch late on in games to ‘shut up shop’, meaning the game stat will have had an effect on his CBIT stats. In a similar vein, Mosquera is likely to be less of a goal threat than Gabriel, which is something to keep in mind… If he does indeed start for Arsenal for the start of the season (which, at time of writing, seems plausible) then Mosquera is a great, cheap way into the Arsenal defence.
Alternatively, Calafiori (£5.5m) could also be considered as a cheaper Arsenal option, as many think he will be nailed at left back and could offer attacking returns (similar perhaps to Timber last season) should he start in that position. Hincapie and MLS offer competition in that role, so keep an eye on pre-season games to assess how likely the Italian is to start! Both are good £5.0-5.5 Million FPL Defenders for GW1.
Further Read: FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations for 2026/27 FPL Season
Jacquet (£5.0m)
In spite of the minor injury concerns around Liverpool’s summer signing, we’ve selected him for this list due to his fantastic price tag and the possibility of huge DEFCON returns. Liverpool’s defence was far from it’s best last season, but Iraola has a track record of improving defences and strengthening solidity at the back. During his time at Bournemouth, the Cherries went from 67 goals conceded and just 9 clean sheets during his first season to 54 goals conceded and 11 clean sheets. His side also saw a significant improvement in their underlying numbers during that time.
Liverpool boast one of the best centre-backs in the league (VVD) and one of the best goalkeepers in the league (Alisson), whilst also possessing a decent LB (who was a monster under Iraola at Bournemouth) and a few good right-back options (though Frimpong is yet to prove himself as a reliable option at Liverpool). With Konate having left Liverpool for Real Madrid over the summer, Jacquet will slot into the right-sided CB role at Liverpool and is the cheapest starting Liverpool defensive option for FPL GW1. Kerkez could be targetted, but is priced at 0.5m more expensive and offers significantly lower potential with regards to DEFCON (though could offer high attacking returns depending on how Iraola deploys him).
Senesi thrived in Iraola’s system at Bournemouth, with the left-sided centre back given license to roam into midfield and actively tackle, block and clear the ball in order to proactively stop opposition attacks. He was the highest DEFCON scorer last season and has since moved to Spurs off the back of his great campaign. Iraola always deploys one more passive central defender and one more active – Virgil will surely be deployed as the former due to his playstyle and his age, whereas Jacquet who is younger, faster and a better profile for this role, will surely be the more proactive of the two. During his time at Lens last year Jacquet averaged 8.2 defensive contributions per 90, showing that he has the defensive chops to play this more proactive role at Liverpool.
Liverpool’s first five fixtures are ranked worse than Arsenal and Man City on the Fixture analysis tool by Fantasy Football Hub, but I actually find their first few fixtures quite appealing. The Reds face Newcastle in GW1 (who recently lost their manager and are selling all of their best players), before playing Forest at home, Ipswich away and then Fulham at home. Considering the Reds finished fifth last season and we are expecting to see a marked improvement under Iraola’s stewardship, one would expect them to pick up quite a few points in that run and hopefully (for Jacquet owners) a few clean sheets!
Fantasy Football Hub(FFHUB) Free AI Team Rating Tool
Porro (£5.5m)
Spurs play just one of last season’s top 4 teams and just 2 teams that finished in last season’s top 10 during the first five gameweeks, making them a team to target for those who are confident in an uptick in form under De Zerbi. Spurs have made a whole host of defensive signings over the summer, including Robertson, Senesi and Van Hecke, in order to shore up their leaky defense. It may surprise some to discover that Spurs kept 2 clean sheets in their final 5 games of the 25/26 season, highlighting the positive impact De Zerbi had on the side during his short tenure at the helm.
Porro is an FPL fan favourite due to his attacking instincts and high work rate. Last season was his lowest in terms of goal involvements since he joined Spurs in 22/23, contributing just 4 goal involvements over the course of what was a disappointing campaign for Tottenham. With a more solid defence to cover for him, Porro will surely have more license to do what he does best and get himself into advanced positions in order to contribute to Spurs’ attack in the upcoming season.
De Zerbi often gives his fullbacks license to occupy forward positions – take a look at this average position map from Brighton’s 4-1 victory over Luton during the 23/24 season when De Zerbi was in charge. Take particular notice of the fullback’s positioning in this image in order to get a feel for how De Zerbi likes to deploy his fullbacks (Estupinan (30) and Milner (7)).
If you look at average position maps for Spurs’ final few games last season, Porro is one of the more advanced players, often playing in the same horizontal plane as the more advanced midfielders or even up alongside the wingers and forwards. It’s clear that DZ will allow Porro license to get up the pitch, so it’s only a matter of time until we start seeing the levels of output that Porro produced in previous seasons at Spurs.
Note that Porro did also manage a few DEFCON points last season, averaging 7.04 defensive contributions per 90. At just £5.5m, Porro is a great option for GW1 and beyond due to Spurs’ favourable fixture run, and Porro’s attacking instincts and role in this new-look Spurs defence.
Alternatively, new signing Van Hecke could offer great value at £5.0m due to his high defcon (0.73 per 90 last season), and fairly high clean sheet potential during that good run of fixtures to start the season. According to Spurs’ fans online, it appears that Van Hecke is more likely than Senesi to start, but that is certainly something to keep an eye on in pre-season.
Further Read: Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders for 2026/27 FPL Season
Muharemovic (£5.0m)
Are you looking for the next DEFCON monster, look no further, Muharemovic is your man! The Bosnian central defender averaged 10.86 defensive contributions in Seria A last season and a massive 17.65 at the World Cup over the summer – he’ll be replacing Struijk in that Leeds backline, a defender who averaged 9.07 defensive contributions for Leeds last season (0.8 DEFCON/90). While Bijol did in fact outperform Struijk in this department (1.05 DC/90), he made just 21 appearances for Leeds last season and was not a consistent starter over the whole season. Muharemovic, having been bought from Serie A for around £35 million, will surely start consistently for Farke’s side.
Leeds underperformed their underlying numbers significantly last season and should have been nowhere near the relegation zone (according to xPTS). Leeds conceded the 7th fewest expected goals against last season, and were let down by the goalkeeper who didn’t overperform in this department as much as other goalkeepers in the league. Leeds’ goalkeeping situation should be resolved over the summer, however, with rumours abound that they are set to sign Trafford from Manchester City, an excellent signing should it all go through and one which will help to shore up that defence even more!
Muharemovic is a 6-foot-4 central defender who is a physical presence, possesses a strong aerial ability, and ranks highly for defensive contributions. The addition of Wilson, along with the already exceptional set-piece deliveries of Stach/Wilson, makes Muharemovic an even more exciting FPL asset as he will certainly be an attacking threat from set-pieces. Leeds scored the third most set-piece goals last season, and I would expect them to again rank highly in this metric next season. Muharemovic is a good option at £5.0m due to Leeds ‘ set-piece threat, his DEFCON potential, Leeds’ positive underlying defensive numbers, and their improved clean sheet potential due to new signings.
Further Read: FPL Fixture Analysis for 2026/27 Season- Teams with Best and Worst fixtures
Other £5.0-5.5 Million FPL Defenders:
- Morato (£5.0m) / Williams (£5.0m) – Forest’s defence likely to prosper under Glasner. Decent run of fixtures to start the campaign. Morato is cheaper than Murillo/Milenkovic but is likely to start in a back three alongside them, while Williams could be the next Munoz. Speaking of…
- Munoz (£5.5m) – The Colombian has shown across his club and international career that he is an excellent attacking fullback, it is not just under his time under Glasner that he has been a quasi-attacker. Thus he remains a good FPL option for his attacking output, though it remains to be seen how the new manager lines up/fares in south London…
- Vuskovic (£5.0m) – Brilliant numbers on all fronts: Goals, assists, Defcon – could truly be an all-round great defender in FPL. Brighton have stuck with their coach Hurzeler and therefore offer stability where other teams do not.
💎Vuskovic (£5.0)- Last season in Bundesliga:
- 28 Games
- 12.1 DEFCON/90
- 6 Goals, 2 Assists
- 5.68 xGI
- Ballard (£5.0m) – 9th best DEFCON per 90 amongst defenders last season. 13th highest DEFCON amongst defenders. Sunderland’s defence improved towards the back end of the season, and their first two fixtures are excellent!
Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2026/27 FPL Season
FPL Basics:
2026/27 FPL Season – New Rules & Changes | What’s New in FPL?
What is Team ID in FPL? | How to Get a Low FPL Team ID for the 2026/27 Season
Best & Funny FPL Team Names for 2026/27 PL Season
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Ultimate DEFCON Analysis: Top Players & Best Opponents to Target
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations for 2026/27 FPL Season
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Position Analysis:
GKs and Defenders Series:
Best FPL Goalkeepers to Target based on Stats and Fixtures
Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders for 2026/27 FPL Season
Best Premium Defenders for 2026/27 season based on Stats and Fixtures
Best £5.0-5.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations for 2026/27 FPL Season
Best £4.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season
Midfielders Series:
Best FPL Premium Midfielders(8.0-12.0) for 2026/27 FPL season
Best Mid-Price FPL Midfielders for the 26/27 Season | £6.5 to 7.5M
Best Value for Money Midfielders for 2026/27 season
Forwards Series:
Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £6.0 Million) | 26/27 FPL Season
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If you’re new to FPL, here is a link to all our FPL Beginners Guide including FPL Beginner’s Guide- How to play?, Bench boost, Team value, Triple captain, Effective ownership, Price Changes, Free Hit, Bonus Points, and more.
Link to all our 2026/27 Pre-Season articles including all position-wise analysis, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, and more. Completely free to access as well!
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